Drain cleaning

Useful Kitchen and Bathroom Drain Plumbing Cleaning Service Tips. If you look around your house, there are a variety of different drains that need to be kept clean so that they work properly. Your professional plumber service has the training and tools to handle any kind of drain cleaning challenge, including:

Kitchen drains. Grease, soap and food waste can take their toll, making your drains clog and run more slowly over time.

Shower/tub drains. Water should drain immediately when you’re showering and in just a few minutes after a bath. If it’s draining slowly, your tub or shower trap and drainpipe is probably clogged with soap and hair.

Bathroom sink drains. Slow draining and clogging are often a result of toothpaste, soap and grime. If you lose a piece of jewelry down the sink drain, don’t run any more water. Call your local plumber service professional, who should be able to retrieve the lost item without too much difficulty.

Toilet drains. A clogged toilet is often caused by attempting to flush facial tissue, baby wipes or other products that don’t disintegrate the way toilet paper does. And if you have kids, you may have a toy or sock in the works. Fortunately, there’s a special plumbing tool that can cut through any obstruction while hugging the inside wall of the pipe, giving your toilet drain a thorough cleaning at the same time.

Floor drains. Basements, laundry rooms, garages, patios, driveways and even older bathrooms often have a drain to carry away water and prevent flooding. Usually they are equipped with a trap that should be filled with water to prevent odors and sewer gas from escaping.

Main sewer lines. All your household drains lead into your main sewer line, which connects to a city sewer line or septic tank. The clogging culprit here is usually water-seeking roots that can actually break through the line and clog the drain. See our Sewer Repair section to learn more about this problem.

Preventive Tips and Tricks After Drain Cleaning Service

Once you have had plumbing drain cleaning services, there are some preventive maintenance tricks you can try to prevent future clogs and drain issues:

Install hair traps in your showers and sinks.

Use a food-grade filter in your kitchen sink to prevent debris from washing down the non-disposal drain.

Switch to thin, non-quilted toilet paper to avoid clumping in the sewer line.

Use a monthly BioChoiceES® drain cleaning treatment for all drains.

Clean all hair, food and grease traps regularly

Preventive maintenance helps reduce your need for drain cleaning machines or services, reduces odors and extends the life of your drain system. You will notice faster draining time, more efficient garbage disposal in the kitchen sink, and reduced toilet clogging.

Clearing a Clogged Floor Drain is a simple plumbing DIY job you can do. Floor drains serve to remove wastewater and other liquid wastes from a work area, typically a bathroom, a laundry, car wash or garage. That wastewater flows to a sanitary sewer by gravity or with the aid of a pump. Floor drains also hold water under the floor so sewer gas doesn’t escape back up into the building.

Clearing a Clogged Floor Drain

When water collects and stands above a floor drain, the line below is blocked at some point. In most cases, this situation will require calling in a plumber. There may be a clog in either the floor drain line, the drain trap, which is that bend in the pipe, or the sewer service line.

A hand auger, which is a flexible steel cable, or a blow bag can be used to clear a drain line or a trap. A garden hose by itself may be used to clear a clog if it is close to the opening. Simply insert the hose into the drain and turn on the water full force. Or attach a blow bag to the garden hose and then insert that into the floor drain and turn on the water. If this method fails to dislodge the clog, the problem may be in a branch line, the main waste and vent stack or the sewer service line.

The auger also can be used on a branch drain line. The procedure for clearing the main waste and vent stack involves running an auger down through the roof vent. Finally, a clog that has eluded other searches may be in the sewer service line. Calling in a professional sewer cleaning service sometimes is the best strategy, especially when tree roots have grown in the line.

How to Repair or Fix a Leaky Kitchen Sink Drain Pipe? Mostly leaking comes from the kitchen sink drain assembly where the P-trap connected into the bottom of the kitchen sink. What was perplexing was that there was no apparent leak when I just ran the faucet and let the water drain out the kitchen sink. It turned out that the leak only manifested itself when the sink was first filled with water, and then the drain plug was pulled out of the sink drain.

It was while the large volume of water poured through the drain that I observed water seeping around the large plastic nut that connected the P-trap assembly to the kitchen sink drain itself.

With the source of the leak discovered I removed the P-trap by simply unscrewing the large plastic nut that connected the P-trap to the kitchen sink drain. The P-trap nut can be unscrewed with your hand. No tools were required.

Upon close inspection of the P-trap I noticed that the plastic washer that sat inside the P-trap was deformed and quite dirty.

My first attempt to solve the leak was to clean the P-trap and the plastic washer and then reattach the assembly back to the base of the kitchen sink drain. Unfortunately the leak persisted.

As a result of the failure of my first attempt to fix the leaky kitchen sink drain, I went down to my local home improvement store and picked up a new P-trap and a separate plastic washer.

Once back at my kitchen sink I decided to see if I could save myself some money by just replacing the plastic washer. Again, I unscrewed the P-trap nut that connected to the bottom of the sink drain. I then swapped out the old plastic washer with the new one and then reattached the plastic P-trap to the base of the kitchen drain sink. I also made sure that the P-trap nut was tightly fastened to the base of the kitchen sink. I then filled the kitchen sink with water and then removed the drain plug. Sure enough, the leaky kitchen sink drain was a thing of the past.

How to Install bathroom sink drain, Bathtub drains and French Drains? Get drain installation directions for sink, shower, bathtub and French drain – do it yourself. Free tips to help you to install shower drain, install french drain, install sink drain step by step.

Drains inside and outside the home are some of the most beneficial appliances you can install as a home owner. Some are necessary, such as shower and bath drains. Others can improve the aesthetic appearance of your home and yard. Knowing how to install them is valuable knowledge that can increase the worth of your home.

Drains

Common household drains include bath drains, sink drains, and shower drains, all of which are necessary in the home. Outdoor drains such as French drains can become necessary as well.

Outdoor Drains

For those who live at lower elevations than others, French drains may be a wise project to assume. Many times, the higher elevation of the property of a neighbor can cause for excess water to accumulate in parts of your lawn. When it rains, the water from higher elevations can flow into your yard, making deep puddles that can flood and drown your plant life or garden. French drains simply provide passage in which the water can flow. Trenches are dug in the problem area of the lawn and filled with gravel and piping to capture the excess water. They can even be covered with artificial turf to make them less noticeable.

While many people are beginning to install piping in the trenches to aid water flow, this is not necessary. The typical French drain is filled only with gravel, but you may choose to install a pipe as well depending on the severity of the flooding.

Indoor Drains

All sinks and bathing areas in a home will require a drain that is in proper working order. A shower drain can be the first drain that worsens in condition and is the most important to repair and replace. Shower drains can be pop up or traditional, and each is relatively simple to install.

Drain Installation

Corrosion, rust, and clogging can lead to the gradual deterioration of the drainage in your home. Because sink and shower drains are exposed to more than just water, their condition has a tendency to worsen as time goes on. To install sink drain or shower drains, one must make sure to purchase parts that will not wear and tear easily. French drains, on the other hand, are usually installed only once and do not require the continual maintenance that is customary with household drains.

Install Shower Drain

Most shower drains are traditional, such as plunger drains. They are called trip lever drains, because there is a lever usually located at or beneath the faucet that stops water. Others do not have trip levers, such as pop up drains. Whichever you choose, you will want to be sure that they are of the correct size. Most will simply need to be screwed on to the existing p-bend.

If you are installing a new p-bend, you may need to remove the existing shower floor in order to expose the pipe. Once you have gained access to the bend, you may remove it with a common household wrench and screwdriver. After installing drain, be sure that all gaps are tightly sealed. Gaps that are not completely sealed can lead to leaks that will damage the area around the drain.

Install French Drain

French drain installation is a simple project that does not always require the help of a professional. With the correct supplies, this is a project that can be completed by one person in a very short amount of time. Depending on the size of the area that you want to drain, the job can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

The first step is to dig a trench that is approximately one foot deep and six inches wide. The length should be as long as the area that is being flooded. Use a small shovel or spade to achieve this. If you will be installing a pipe, you should fill the trench one inch deep with washed gravel. Otherwise, fill it to the top, leaving one inch clear for turf. Clean gravel is most appropriate since this will ensure the easy flow of water throughout the drain.

If you choose to install a pipe and/or turf, you will need to make sure to purchase enough to cover the length of the entire trench. Place the pipe over the one inch of gravel. The drain pipe’s upper end should run toward the surface so that you may access it for unclogging if necessary.

How to Unclog the clogged Bathroom Drains? Clogged Drains – What a Pain! Find out the reason why bathroom drain get clogged. Useful tips to help you to Unclog a clogged Bathroom Drain with soem easy steps.

We’ve all been there – we’re in the shower, and all of a sudden we feel the water start to rise up around our feet. Yuck! A clogged drain. Or you’re in front of the sink, brushing your teeth and before you know it – the sink is halfway full. Nobody likes to deal with clogged drains because they are a hassle and they give an impression of being unsanitary (because they are). However, most household bathrooms will experience a clogged drain of some time and one time or another. The best course of action is to be prepared to deal with it by learning how to unclog bathroom drains.

Why Do They Happen?
Clogged drains can occur when material such as hair, dust and particles become trapped in the area between your bathroom drain and the pipes that follow underneath. The problem is exacerbated when household products such as soaps, detergents, shampoos and conditioners and others are allowed to build up on the growing accumulation. When the offending mass becomes too dense to allow water to flow through freely, the problem is identified as a clogged drain. If water builds up quickly in your sink or tub when it should flow smoothly out of the drain, you may already have a plumbing clog on your hands.

Unclog Your Drains
If you’re facing a clogged bathroom sink or bathtub drain, there are a couple of different things you can do to get things flowing smoothly again. Whether you are working with a sink or a bathtub drain, the first step is to remove the stopper. With a bathroom sink this can be as easy as pulling it right out or as complicated as looking under the sink and removing the nut that holds it in place. With your tub, you can either unscrew the stopper right at the drain or removing the overflow plate to remove the assembly.

Once you remove the stopper, you may be able to see the source of the clog. It is very likely to look like a mass of hair and debris wrapped around the drain’s hardware. Reach down and pull out as much as possible. If it is difficult to reach the area where the clog is located, or difficult to grasp the mass, simply use a wire clothes hanger to help you do the job. Clearing out the hair, soap scum and particles may very well take care of the problem for you.

If you disassemble the drain and notice that the clog is not even within reach of a wire hanger, you will have to try another method. A drain plunger can help you get rid of clogs that are too deep down to reach by hand. First, cover the overflow drain with a wet cloth in order to make the suction from the plunger stronger. Next, place the plunger directly over the drain opening and pulse the plunger up and down several times. When you release the plunger, any trapped water should immediately be drained.

If the plunger method fails to properly unclog your drain, you may have to resort to chemical drain cleaner. This method should only be used as a last resort because the chemicals are dangerous and can be harmful to your bathroom fixtures.

Call in the Pros
If after trying the various do-it-yourself methods you are still unable to unclog a drain, it is a good idea to call your local plumber for some help. Plumbers have equipment that can help unclog drains quickly and easily. Though it won’t come cheaply, a plumber’s help can provide peace of mind.